Dishes // Leading //Example
One of my biggest pet peeves in college was a dirty kitchen. It was one of those inconveniences that occurred when eight individuals shared a sink the size of a teacup. The first year of college I would angrily wash dishes because I hated having a full sink. This bitterness resounded with all of my suitemates, I am sure each of us felt inconvenienced by the selfishness of others. The second year, it was easier, though I was still bitter when I had to wash a particularity greasy pan that once contained bacon that I didn't eat. I didn't know that these experiences in college were experiences that my eighteen years at home had prepared me for. I didn't know that these experiences were helping mold my heart into one that gladly did dishes that weren't mine because it would relieve some of that bitterness and tension. God was molding my heart towards servant leadership without my knowledge
Servant Leadership.
It's this term that gets thrown around in church all the time. But what does it mean and how can I live it? I strive to be a servant leader, but I struggle. I struggle all the time because a lot of the time it means doing things I don't want to do. I am not very good at working as a team. It is my biggest weakness. It's not because I don't like working with people, but because I am afraid to ask others and I am afraid of wearing them out or inconveniencing them.
How can I serve with a joyful spirit and be an example through my actions? This questions weighs heavily on me as I watch my son grow. As I transition from ensuring my son survives to ensuring my son thrives, this is the question I ask. How can I show my son how to be more like Jesus? How can I show him, not just tell him, that ladies go first and we must care for the elderly, not write them off? How can I show and not tell that we are made to be last. It's okay to let that mom of four who looks frazzled go in front of us at the store and it's also okay to let that man with the full basket and no children go because that what showing love mean? It's okay to be inconvieneced for the ale of showing love and we need to do it with a glad heart. How do I show my son that I am glad about being selfless, when I'm really angry that the amino an just cut me off in traffic. How do I show him that we have to love all people?
I am interning for the church and I feel the eyes of all on me as a wade my way through the thick swamps of the children's ministry. I absolutely love working with children, it's the adults that I have trouble with. How do I show the kids that we all need to ask for help sometimes, if I am too scared to ask someone to sub for my Sunday school class. How can I be a servant leader? Maybe it's broadening my view. Maybe it means not just focusing on the kids currently in my ministry, but making my ministry accessible for the future kids and for the current visitors. Maybe it means broadening my vision, by not focusing just on my own projects, but ensuring that all the endeavors whether they be in my ministry or another, started by me or someone else are supported. Maybe it means working with other ministries to create an environment and events that are not just reaching one demographic, but are reaching two or three of ten different groups of people.
The first will go last and the last will be raised up. How can I put myself last? Is it really as simple as making sure all the kids have their food at camp before I get mine? Is is as hard as making sure that they are all having fun and participating even if I only had three hours of sleep the night before? Is servant leadership demonstrating prayer before every lesson and every meal? Is it more?
It's a heart thing. It's not about what I am doing, but how I am doing it. In college, I was not being a servant leader when I was washing the dishes because I hated it and I complained ceaselessly about it. I'd like to think I am being a better example now, though the string of complaints have just transferred. How can I be a servant leader if complaints are contagious and I am the one starting the epidemic? How can I be a servant leader if I am dragging my feet when I obey and fighting it with every fiber of my being? How can I be a servant leader if I inadvertently cause others to stumble?
I would like to think it's as simple as taking the job I like to do the least every time, but I don't think it's quite like that. It's not about me or how big of a sacrifice I am making. It's about others. It about taking the job that no one wants to do. It's not martyrdom, we don't have to do things we hate, but things we don't mind doing with a joyful heart. Sure, sometimes that job is messy or unpleasant, but someone has to do it. Every once in a while I might do something I really don't like, but if I have the bigger goal in mind it's not so bad.
We can't all be in charge, but we can all be leaders.
I think about a company. If we all were to be managers, who would do the work. Paul says if we were all eyes how would we walk? Or if we were all mouths, how would we listen? A servant leader is someone who fills in those gaps and gets dirty. We can't all be surpervisors at are car wash because nothing will get clean. We can't all be organizers of a potluck because there will be nothing to eat. Jesus washed the disciples feet. It did not change his importance when he humbled himself. If a pastor takes out the trash, he doesn't become a garbage man, he is still the most powerful person in the church, he is also being a servant leader. If a teacher cleans up the trash off the floor with the kids she is participating in servant leadership. Servant leadership is not asking more of someone that's you are willing to do yourself. Servant leadership is coming along those you lead and participating with them. Sometimes it's fun things like games and other times is tidying up.
A servant leader does not prevent someone from doing their job, but a facilitates it. If a student is picking up trash on the ground a servant leader doesn't take that job from them, but helps them. Perhaps they can hold the bag for the student or ask the student how they can be of assistance. A servant leader doesn't prevent others from participating but allows for the maximum number of people to feel important. This means delegating. If I am planning an event, I should be allowing the
maximum number of volunteers to have jobs. This usually means making a list of tasks that need to be done and delegating them ahead of time. If am partita ting in an event, it means allowing the kids to participate first. If I am helping with a scavenger hunt, I can offer to take the pictures, but allow a student to do it if that is what they want and only intervene when they need it and ask for it. If I am taking all the kids to mini-golf and we are one putter short, but I already have a putter, I need to give that putter to one of the kids.
Servant leadership is sometimes sacrificing our energy and happiness for the success of the event. When I went to camp with third through fifth graders, I had a child get sent to the hospital. I was up a good portion of the night with her and missed all the morning activities waiting with her in the infirmary. I was exhausted and worried about how the kids would react. It was a huge part of my day and I was really worried about it putting a damper on the whole camp experience for the kids. However, when we talked about their day that night, not one of them mentioned her leaving as a part of their "Farkle" ( negative of the day). This is ideal. Even if we think they are going to have an aweful time, if we are positive and encouraging, maybe they won't notice.
Servant leadership is about attitude, actions, and others. If I am positive in my attitude, selfless in my actions, and focused on Christ and others before myself, then maybe I can be a servant leader.
The big question for me is how do I carry this on into my home? How do I show my eleven month old what it means to be selfless and positive all at the same time? How do I show him what it means to be upward (toward Jesus) and outward (toward others) focused?
Servant Leadership.
It's this term that gets thrown around in church all the time. But what does it mean and how can I live it? I strive to be a servant leader, but I struggle. I struggle all the time because a lot of the time it means doing things I don't want to do. I am not very good at working as a team. It is my biggest weakness. It's not because I don't like working with people, but because I am afraid to ask others and I am afraid of wearing them out or inconveniencing them.
How can I serve with a joyful spirit and be an example through my actions? This questions weighs heavily on me as I watch my son grow. As I transition from ensuring my son survives to ensuring my son thrives, this is the question I ask. How can I show my son how to be more like Jesus? How can I show him, not just tell him, that ladies go first and we must care for the elderly, not write them off? How can I show and not tell that we are made to be last. It's okay to let that mom of four who looks frazzled go in front of us at the store and it's also okay to let that man with the full basket and no children go because that what showing love mean? It's okay to be inconvieneced for the ale of showing love and we need to do it with a glad heart. How do I show my son that I am glad about being selfless, when I'm really angry that the amino an just cut me off in traffic. How do I show him that we have to love all people?
I am interning for the church and I feel the eyes of all on me as a wade my way through the thick swamps of the children's ministry. I absolutely love working with children, it's the adults that I have trouble with. How do I show the kids that we all need to ask for help sometimes, if I am too scared to ask someone to sub for my Sunday school class. How can I be a servant leader? Maybe it's broadening my view. Maybe it means not just focusing on the kids currently in my ministry, but making my ministry accessible for the future kids and for the current visitors. Maybe it means broadening my vision, by not focusing just on my own projects, but ensuring that all the endeavors whether they be in my ministry or another, started by me or someone else are supported. Maybe it means working with other ministries to create an environment and events that are not just reaching one demographic, but are reaching two or three of ten different groups of people.
The first will go last and the last will be raised up. How can I put myself last? Is it really as simple as making sure all the kids have their food at camp before I get mine? Is is as hard as making sure that they are all having fun and participating even if I only had three hours of sleep the night before? Is servant leadership demonstrating prayer before every lesson and every meal? Is it more?
It's a heart thing. It's not about what I am doing, but how I am doing it. In college, I was not being a servant leader when I was washing the dishes because I hated it and I complained ceaselessly about it. I'd like to think I am being a better example now, though the string of complaints have just transferred. How can I be a servant leader if complaints are contagious and I am the one starting the epidemic? How can I be a servant leader if I am dragging my feet when I obey and fighting it with every fiber of my being? How can I be a servant leader if I inadvertently cause others to stumble?
I would like to think it's as simple as taking the job I like to do the least every time, but I don't think it's quite like that. It's not about me or how big of a sacrifice I am making. It's about others. It about taking the job that no one wants to do. It's not martyrdom, we don't have to do things we hate, but things we don't mind doing with a joyful heart. Sure, sometimes that job is messy or unpleasant, but someone has to do it. Every once in a while I might do something I really don't like, but if I have the bigger goal in mind it's not so bad.
We can't all be in charge, but we can all be leaders.
I think about a company. If we all were to be managers, who would do the work. Paul says if we were all eyes how would we walk? Or if we were all mouths, how would we listen? A servant leader is someone who fills in those gaps and gets dirty. We can't all be surpervisors at are car wash because nothing will get clean. We can't all be organizers of a potluck because there will be nothing to eat. Jesus washed the disciples feet. It did not change his importance when he humbled himself. If a pastor takes out the trash, he doesn't become a garbage man, he is still the most powerful person in the church, he is also being a servant leader. If a teacher cleans up the trash off the floor with the kids she is participating in servant leadership. Servant leadership is not asking more of someone that's you are willing to do yourself. Servant leadership is coming along those you lead and participating with them. Sometimes it's fun things like games and other times is tidying up.
A servant leader does not prevent someone from doing their job, but a facilitates it. If a student is picking up trash on the ground a servant leader doesn't take that job from them, but helps them. Perhaps they can hold the bag for the student or ask the student how they can be of assistance. A servant leader doesn't prevent others from participating but allows for the maximum number of people to feel important. This means delegating. If I am planning an event, I should be allowing the
maximum number of volunteers to have jobs. This usually means making a list of tasks that need to be done and delegating them ahead of time. If am partita ting in an event, it means allowing the kids to participate first. If I am helping with a scavenger hunt, I can offer to take the pictures, but allow a student to do it if that is what they want and only intervene when they need it and ask for it. If I am taking all the kids to mini-golf and we are one putter short, but I already have a putter, I need to give that putter to one of the kids.
Servant leadership is sometimes sacrificing our energy and happiness for the success of the event. When I went to camp with third through fifth graders, I had a child get sent to the hospital. I was up a good portion of the night with her and missed all the morning activities waiting with her in the infirmary. I was exhausted and worried about how the kids would react. It was a huge part of my day and I was really worried about it putting a damper on the whole camp experience for the kids. However, when we talked about their day that night, not one of them mentioned her leaving as a part of their "Farkle" ( negative of the day). This is ideal. Even if we think they are going to have an aweful time, if we are positive and encouraging, maybe they won't notice.
Servant leadership is about attitude, actions, and others. If I am positive in my attitude, selfless in my actions, and focused on Christ and others before myself, then maybe I can be a servant leader.
The big question for me is how do I carry this on into my home? How do I show my eleven month old what it means to be selfless and positive all at the same time? How do I show him what it means to be upward (toward Jesus) and outward (toward others) focused?
Comments
Post a Comment